The invention concerns a filter element of a filter for filtering fluids, in particular gases, in particular intake air, in particular of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, comprising a zigzag-folded filter medium with a raw fluid side and a clean fluid side, wherein at the raw fluid side and/or at the clean fluid side of the filter medium at least one elongate support section is arranged on an appropriate surface of the filter medium that, at least sectionwise, extends at a slant or perpendicular to fold edges of the filter medium, wherein a height extension of the at least one support section increases perpendicular to the surface of the filter medium along its longitudinal direction in the direction from a fold base to a fold peak of a fold of the filter medium so that, when the filter medium is folded, the at least one support section with its free side which is facing away from the surface of the filter medium is resting, respectively, on a corresponding free side of a support section oppositely positioned in an intermediate fold space or on the surface of a filter medium section oppositely positioned in the intermediate fold space.
Moreover, the invention concerns a filter for filtering fluids, in particular gases, in particular intake air, in particular of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, comprising a filter element, in particular a filter element according to the invention, comprising a zigzag-folded filter medium with a raw fluid side and a clean fluid side, wherein at the raw fluid side and/or at the clean fluid side of the filter medium at least one elongate support section is arranged on an appropriate surface of the filter medium that, at least sectionwise, extends at a slant or perpendicular to fold edges of the filter medium, wherein a height extension of the at least one support section increases perpendicular to the surface of the filter medium along its longitudinal direction in the direction from a fold base to a fold peak of the fold of the filter medium so that, when the filter medium is folded, the at least one support section with its free side which is facing away from the surface of the filter medium is resting, respectively, on a corresponding free side of a support section oppositely positioned in an intermediate fold space or on the surface of a filter medium section oppositely positioned in the intermediate fold space.
WO 2011/026999 A1 discloses a filter for filtering fluids, comprising a filter element with a zigzag-folded filter medium with a raw side and a clean side. At the raw side and/or at the clean side of the filter medium, a plurality of elongate adhesive sections are arranged along at least two adhesive beads on the filter medium that, at least sectionwise, extend at a slant or perpendicular to the fold edges. Each adhesive bead has at least one adhesive section and at least one adhesive interruption arranged thereat. The extension of the adhesive sections perpendicular to the filter medium along the adhesive bead varies so that, when the filter medium is folded, the adhesive sections respectively are resting flat with the free side facing away from the filter medium on an appropriate free side of an adhesive section oppositely positioned in the intermediate fold space or on the surface of a filter medium section oppositely positioned in the intermediate fold space in a flat arrangement.
The invention has the object to design a filter element and a filter of the aforementioned kind in which the at least one support section can be realized with a manufacturing expenditure and material expenditure as minimal as possible. In particular, the at least one support section should be realized as much as possible in a space-saving manner. The ratio of effective filter surface area to total surface area of the filter medium should be as large as possible.